When my Japanese friends hear that I make my own beer at home, they invariably ask me, "Does it taste good?" When I pour them a glass in response, their next comment is usually, "Wow, it has foam!"

Well, of course it has foam. And yes, it can taste good. In Japan, where there has been no long tradition of beer brewing, it is not surprising that many Japanese know little of what goes into their cool suds or how they can be made at home.

Many people confuse home-brewing, making beer at home, with microbrewing, which is commercial beer production on a very small scale with an emphasis on a quality, handcrafted product.